Coalition shares info on gang activity in area

Security officers from several area school districts met early Friday with Colorado Springs police to share information about a gang-related shooting Thursday afternoon that left two area students dead.

The 6 a.m. meeting of the Safe Schools Coalition was to ensure that schools were aware of the homicide and would be on the lookout for any possible repercussions, said Larry Borland, chief of security for Academy School District 20. Districts were provided with "gang monikers" of people involved in Thursday's incident to see if they were familiar or connected to any other schools, he said.

The information was passed on to police officers and principals at area high schools and middle schools.

"Whenever we have something like this, we want to get awareness out to our principals," Borland said. "If anyone hears anything we want to make sure we take it seriously."

That kind of vigilance is part of an ongoing, coordinated effort that has helped keep gang problems out of local schools, said José Gurulé, director of security for Colorado Springs School District 11.

One of the main weapons against gang activity in schools is the Safe School Coalition, said Jerry Voegele, security supervisor for Harrison School District 2, where the two victims attended school. The group - created in May 2008 to address gangs, drugs and alcohol, teen dating violence, and other school safety issues - is made up of police officers, school security officers, district administration and principals from various schools.

"They meet monthly to share and discuss what is going on with gangs," Voegele said.

"The mission is to exchange information and alert schools of anything they should be watching out for."

That would include information on who is in gangs, and rumors of gang meetings, activities and such.

Area school districts also forbid gang attire and colors in schools, and use security officers and on-site police called resource officers.

While there are "gang affiliates and wannabes everywhere," Gurulé said, D-11 has had no gang issues in the past couple of years.

D-2 also has officers on duty at all times including nine district security officers in the middle and high schools.

"We are proactive in keeping gangs out of the schools. We don't bury our head in the sand," Voegele said.

Under Project Alert, the officers give anti-gang classes to students and also meet with staff to help them understand gangs.

While gang members can attend school, gang activity is not allowed. Students can't wear gang colors, they can't flash gang signs and graffiti is immediately removed. "Gang members know that we know who they are," Voegele said.

Once students leave school grounds, however, what they do is out of the purview - and view - of those who try to keep gang activity at bay on campus.